VFX Academy of Design

Grooming For Feature Animation

Grooms can be an extension of the model and design on many animated characters. Given that many animation studios use their own proprietary software, it’s not enough simply to know how to use hair grooming software. In this class, I’ll teach you to see key character design details, execute and improve upon those design details in the groom, problem solve in 3D, and tell the story of the character. This class is set up to mimic a studio environment, from design kickoff and routine reviews, all with the goal of having a feature film quality groom ready at the end. Throughout the course, students will learn how to make an animated feature film quality groom, get familiar with the review style and working cadence at a studio, and learn how to troubleshoot in 3D grooming software and hair shaders. By the end of the course, students should have a high quality portfolio piece.

Please note: students should come into the course with some grooming knowledge and a preferred software to work in. The emphasis of the course will not be on any particular software, but on getting an artistic result using the tools.

Grooming principles covered in this course can be translated to any grooming software; the primary grooming software used in the lecture videos will be Houdini.

Registration Now Open

Registration Period

Oct 09, 2024 - Oct 27, 2024

Course Start

Jan 20, 2025

Course Format

Standard (recorded lectures, individual recorded feedback)

Skills Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Duration

8 weeks

Q&A

Once a week

Feedback

Individual recordings

Lecture Type

Pre-recorded

Assignment

Due each week. Expect to spend 10-15 hrs/wk viewing lectures, Q&A, and time on assignments.

PREREQUISITES

Previous experience in hair grooming and access to hair grooming software like Xgen, Houdini. Recommended courses: Stylized Characters in 3D

MATERIALS

Grooming Software of Choice: Xgen, Houdini, Blender (lectures will be done in Houdini 19). Rendering Software of choice: Arnold, Renderman, Redshift; Unity or Unreal

The more you know, the better.

Week #1

Design Kickoff

Class syllabus overview | Starting your character groom | Gathering reference | Planning ahead (design? grooming software? rendering software?)

Week #2

Block In Your Groom

Setting up UVs | Creating masks for density maps and operators | Setting up hair guides

Week #3

Set Up A Shader

Hair shader basics | What is lighting looking for? | Understanding three point lighting set up and what to look for in your hair shader

Week #4

Setting Up Hair Operators

How to think about hair operators | Troubleshooting your groom

Week #5

First Review

How to present your work to a production designer or a director | Understanding drawovers and feedback

Week #6

Setting Up Your Groom For An Animated Performance

How to groom for an animated performance | Working with rigging and animation | Refining your guides and operators | How to deliver a groom to simulation

Week #7

Working Week

Creating portfolio level pieces | Grooming in a studio environment | Creating grooms for an animated population

Week #8

Final Review

How to bring work back to a production designer or a director | Refining your final presentation | Preparing your model for lighting

Bringing out the best in talent

Andrew Petit

Look Development & Technical Artist

LECTURES BY Ethan Dean

Course Start: Jan 20, 2025

Andrew Pettit is a Look Development and Technical Artist with a background in the animation and game industry. He graduated from Brigham Young University where he received a College Student Emmy for his roles as Producer and Look Development Artist on his classes short film, Cenote. Since then he has primarily worked as a Shading and Groom Technical Director for studios like Pixar, where he helped develop characters for Elemental and Inside Out 2. He is currently a Technical Artist at Warner Bros Games, Avalanche, where he has helped develop material systems with the team that created Hogwarts Legacy. Andrew is passionate about collaborating with others to tell timeless stories.

Instructor's Gallery

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$249.67

2x Payments

$374.50

Full payment

$749

Winter TERM REGISTRATION Now Open

Oct 09, 2024 - Jan 27, 2025

COURSE BEGINS on Jan 20, 2025

What makes this learning experience unique?

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

Receive personalized feedback on all assignments from the industry’s top professionals.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Enjoy lifetime access to the spectrum of course content, including lectures, live Q&As, and feedback sessions.

CERTIFICATION

Show off your Certification of Completion when you turn in 80% of course assignments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn anywhere, anytime, and at your own pace with flexible, online course scheduling.

It really helped me understand some of the intricacies about the pipeline for animated grooms. The reviews were also really helpful.

Kamran

It helped me a lot in thinking how can I separate the groom into different layers, what do I have to consider in grooming for a production, also I didnt know the simulation set up and overall it was a great course and also a great instructor.

Ricardo

It really help me change my mindset of how to approach grooming to think more of how I can approach the groom from an artistic point of view

Javier

It develops your eye and attention to detail. This is an excellent course. Walking my instructor through my grooming scene in Houdini and getting real time feedback on things was perfect, I loved that. Having your work reviewed by such a talent really made me want to push the hard work for me. I'm grateful for that because you feel always motivated.

Ignacio

Grooming for Animated Characters

Character Design

Electives

Environment Design

Drawing Foundation

Compositing/Lighting

Houdini/FX

Rigging